After the divorce, he took care of his child and sold fried rice; his ex-wife was filled with regret

"Old Qin, you brought me all this way here, is this the amazing place you were talking about?"

Zhou Zhengye's tone was calm, but the barely perceptible hint of disdain and doubt in his words made Qin Donghai's heart skip a beat.

Zhou Zhengye is used to eating at private restaurants hidden in courtyard houses and high-end clubs with tight security in Beijing, and he has almost demanding requirements for the dining environment.

During his inspection tour of Jiangcheng, Qin Donghai had originally arranged for a private room on the top floor of the Grand Hyatt Hotel, but Qin Lang confidently assured him that this hotel would definitely be the most prestigious.

Qin Donghai brought the person here as a last resort, only because he had no other choice.

Looking at the storefront now, half of which was hidden by the transformer box, he felt a cold sweat break out in his palms.

"Mr. Zhou, don't be fooled by the transformer box blocking the way at the entrance. This is a case of true seclusion in plain sight," Qin Donghai explained with a forced smile.

"The owner of this restaurant has unparalleled culinary skills; a table there is extremely rare and expensive in Jiangcheng. The interior is a hidden gem; please go in and take a look."

Qin Lang quickly stepped forward to greet him respectfully: "Hello, Uncle Zhou. A private room on the second floor has been prepared especially for you. Please come in."

Zhou Zhengye didn't say anything more, nodded noncommittally, and stepped into the store.

Upon entering and passing through the somewhat narrow entryway, the scene before him instantly made Zhou Zhengye's previously somewhat dismissive gaze narrow slightly.

I originally thought it would be a crowded and noisy hole-in-the-wall restaurant, but I was surprised to find that the interior space was extremely spacious.

The smooth, warm bluestone pavement, the sturdy and rustic old elm pillars, and the artificial pond in the center where several red and white koi carp are swimming leisurely to the sound of flowing water.

Most importantly, although it was 30 degrees Celsius and a noisy commercial street outside, you couldn't feel any of the cooking fumes or noise of an ordinary restaurant inside. There was only a very faint bamboo leaf fragrance and just the right amount of air conditioning.

Zhou Zhengye's expression softened slightly.

"The environment is quite well-designed, reminiscent of the Jiangnan gardens where small spaces convey grandeur," Zhou Zhengye commented aptly.

"Mr. Zhou, please come upstairs." Upon seeing this, Qin Donghai quickly led the way.

The group went up the solid wood staircase to the second floor and entered the largest private room, named "Song".

The private room was spacious and private, with several exquisite cold dishes already laid out on the mahogany round table, and fine pre-rain Longjing tea brewing in the tea set.

Everyone took their seats.

Zhou Zhengye glanced at the cucumber salad and braised beef on the table, but didn't touch his chopsticks.

He picked up the teacup in front of him, took a sip, and skipped the meaningless small talk, his gaze sharply fixed on Qin Donghai.

"Old Qin, we've known each other for years, let's not beat around the bush."

"I personally inspected that plot of land in the south of the city this afternoon. The location is indeed excellent and has development potential. But your Qin family's appetite is too big; you're asking for a funding gap of 3 billion right off the bat."

Zhou Zhengye put down his teacup, his eyes revealing a businessman's shrewdness and ruthlessness:

"The current real estate and commercial complex market is sluggish. Investing this 3 billion yuan is extremely risky. Why should I invest this money in you?"

Qin Donghai's back instantly broke out in a cold sweat.

He knew that Zhou Zhengye was a decisive and efficient man who wouldn't act until he saw a clear benefit.

The negotiations have entered the most critical stalemate stage. If the meal doesn't go well and the atmosphere isn't right, then the 3 billion yuan investment will be completely wasted.

The Qin Group's huge upfront investment in the Chengnan project also faces the risk of a broken capital chain.

"Mr. Zhou, I understand the risks you mentioned. But high risk also means high reward, especially the supporting facilities in the south of the city..."

While struggling to organize his thoughts, Qin Donghai quickly gave Qin Lang, who was standing to the side, a meaningful look.

"Let's eat first and chat while we eat! This restaurant has a signature dish; you should try it and then decide."

Qin Lang understood immediately, knowing that they needed to use something special to break the deadlock, so he immediately turned around and ran downstairs to the kitchen.

"Brother Lin! Everyone's here! Serve the food!" Qin Lang rushed into the kitchen, sweating profusely.

Lin Fan was standing next to the small red clay stove.

The purple clay pot on the stove had been simmering for a full day and night.

He picked up a thick towel and placed it on both sides of the purple clay jar, then steadily lifted the scalding hot jar with both hands.

"Hold the chassis and follow me."

Lin Fan walked in front, while Qin Lang followed behind, carrying a wooden base.

The two went up to the second floor and pushed open the door to the "Song" private room.

Lin Fan placed the large purple clay jar steadily on the wooden base in the center of the round table.

The jar was grayish-brown, with some rough mud spots on the surface, and was completely unremarkable.

The mouth of the jar was sealed with several layers of dried lotus leaves and wrapped with rough hemp rope.

Zhou Zhengye frowned deeply as he looked at the earthenware jar on the table, which looked like it had been moved from a pickled vegetable jar in the countryside.

"Old Qin, is this the grand finale you were talking about?"

Zhou Zhengye's tone carried a clear hint of displeasure. "What's in this jar?"

Qin Donghai was also a little flustered. He had never seen this dish before, so he could only smile awkwardly and look at Lin Fan.

Lin Fan remained calm and announced the names of the dishes:

"Buddha Jumps Over the Wall".

The moment those three words were uttered, the air in the private room suddenly fell silent.

Two seconds later.

"Pfft."

Zhou Zhengye suddenly burst out laughing.

This was not a polite laugh, but a cold laugh filled with mockery and absurdity.

He didn't even bother to hide the contempt in his eyes. He leaned back in his chair, pointed at the earthenware pot in the center of the table, and shook his head repeatedly at Qin Donghai.

"Old Qin, you've gone to all the way from Beijing to Jiangcheng, and that's enough."

Zhou Zhengye tapped his fingers on the table, his tone gradually becoming sharper:

"Why did you have to order Buddha Jumps Over the Wall of all things?"

Qin Donghai felt uneasy at the laughter, but forced a smile and asked, "President Zhou, is there something wrong with this dish?"

"Is there something wrong?"

Zhou Zhengye's smile vanished, his cold gaze sweeping over Qin Donghai and Qin Lang before finally settling on Lin Fan.

"When you do business in Jiangcheng, don't you even bother to check the background of your business partners?"

"My ancestral home is Xiamen. Do you know what this dish means to me?"

Upon hearing this, Qin Donghai's mind went blank, and he knew he was in trouble.

He had always heard Zhou Zhengye speak with a strong Beijing accent and had lived in the capital for many years, so he naturally assumed that Zhou was a northerner.

He had no idea that Zhou Zhengye's roots were in Xiamen!

Zhou Zhengye pointed at the earthenware pot and ruthlessly punctured it:

"Buddha Jumps Over the Wall is the premier dish of Fujian cuisine. When my grandfather celebrated his 80th birthday, he invited a master chef, a leading figure in Fujian cuisine at the time, to cook it himself. I've never forgotten the taste of that Buddha Jumps Over the Wall!"

"To make this dish, you need to use top-grade abalone with more than ten heads, sea cucumber from the Northeast, the top part of real Jinhua ham, and a broth made by simmering old hen and Muscovy duck for three days and three nights."

"Just shipping out the dry goods would take at least five or six days!"

Zhou Zhengye's voice grew colder as he spoke: "Old Qin, we just confirmed the itinerary by phone the day before yesterday, and I only got off the plane this afternoon!"

"Now you've brought me a clay pot, and you're telling me this is Buddha Jumps Over the Wall?"